Behind the Scenes …. Look at Working with Inked Events as Your Day of Coordinator
Wondering what happens behind the scenes when you work with a Day of Coordinator like Inked Events? In our last blog post, I shared the process of finding a Day of Coordinator to help plan a wedding. I left off with the exciting news I received that I’d be part of Desiree & Jacob’s wedding! I really do get all giddy with excitement when I have the honor of working with amazing people on one of the happiest days of their lives! 🙂
Now it’s crunch time for Desiree & Jacob’s upcoming September wedding. Their wedding is less than a week away now, so this is a great time to see what we’re up to!
The next step in the process of working with Inked Events is actually meeting. I try to accommodate everyone’s busy schedule and negotiate the contract via email and phone. When the couple is ready to move forward signing us on as one of their vendors, we coordinate a time and place to physically meet to chat.
Our meeting was scheduled for a Sunday afternoon in March. It was a rainy day, but that didn’t dampen our mood or take away from the cute, little cafe we met at. In preparation for that meeting, I asked Desiree and Jacob to fill out a client profile which provides the finer details of who’s who, contact information, vendors and all other types of information a Day of Coordinator needs to know. For my preparation, I researched the venue to see if there are any pictures of it or if there’s a downloadable floor plan to work with.
I was so excited to finally meet Desiree and Jacob in person! She and I had chatted a bit over email and text messaging beforehand, so when we finally met each other in person, I felt I was meeting an old friend.
During our first meeting with couples like Desiree and Jacob, we review everything, and I mean everything. This helps me get an idea of how the couple sees the day and how they want things to feel.
Next, as a Day of Coordinator, I create a timeline based upon everything we discuss. I always start with a draft based on how the couple envisions the wedding and reception, then, when I consult with the other vendors involved, I adjust the timeline to fit their time allowance and needs. I continually fine-tune the timeline over the course of the planning process.
After the couple reviews the timeline, we discuss any concerns, thoughts and ideas they have. During the course of our planning process, Desiree and Jacob expressed an interest in a few last minute vendors, so I recommended a few reliable, creative professionals I knew would fit their style and budget.
Desiree planned to create her centerpieces and bouquets herself. I’m all about DIY, but when it comes to floral arrangements, I highly recommend hiring a professional florist.
Why? As a Day of Coordinator, my role is to not only help with any last minute planning of the Big Day, but ultimately to relieve stress and worry for the couple on their Big Day. So, I asked her, “Do you really want to worry about making the centerpieces and bouquets days before your wedding and then have to worry about where to store them until the day of the wedding?”
I’m happy to report that Desiree took my advice and booked my florist after that brief conversation.
After meeting Desiree & Jacob, I sent out my introductory email to the vendors they had booked. This way all vendors would understand that I would be the point-of-contact on their wedding day and executing the timeline as the day’s playbook.
Since they brought me on early on in the planning process, Desiree and I have communicated over the last few months via email. It provided me an opportunity to answer questions, address any detail or updates, or just to touch base. She had a bridal shower back in June with her family and friends in Texas, {where she’s originally from} and then had an I Do BBQ Jack & Jill at Jacob’s family home for local family and friends. It warmed my heart to be invited to the Jack & Jill, but I could not attend.
On a beautiful summer day, back in July, we enjoyed our venue walk-thru. The walk-thru is key since it’s a time we’re all able to discuss the room set up, to ensure the day will flow properly. Based on our walk-thru, we adjusted the rooms set up, with particular attention to where certain personalized items will be better suited for the guests to see and have access. After the walk-thru, we went to Harvard Square for lunch and continued to review a few more details to be certain the day would flow seamlessly.
We’re just a week to go! As the Day of Coordinator, the last few weeks have been spent finalizing details. I can’t believe their wedding day is just about here! I’ll be in full wedding mode this week!
I’m so excited to see everything come together, but I’m especially excited to see two of the sweetest people—and the most adorable couple—get married.
Here are a few inspiration ideas that will be at their wedding:
Sofreh Aghd {Persian Table}
Pie Table
Twinkle Lights
